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Linux Journal October 2017

Bash and Cats

If someone asked me how the internet stays running, I'd probably say
something like, "Bash scripts and cat photos." Because really, those two
things pretty much encompass the human online experience. Bash scripts are
quick snippets of timing-saving code, and cat photos are, well, photos of
fluffy kitties. Most days, that's enough. Although I won't say this issue is
based on that premise, I'd like to pretend that's the case!

Reuven M. Lerner starts things off with how to create multithreaded applications
in Python. (See? Thread/yarn? The whole world is cats!) Usually the tasks
we need computers to perform are so simple, the computer can do them one at
a time faster than we can blink. But, what if those tasks are time-consuming? Multithreading is a great way to force computers to do more
work at once.

Kyle Rankin talks about taking a vacation again this month. Specifically, he
talks about purchasing a cheap laptop that can be taken on vacation or used
when on call without
concern about it getting stolen or damaged. Sure, most tech folks spend a
few minutes on vacation solving a work issue, but why tote your fancy
everyday computer along with you, when a flimsy keyboard and outdated CPU
will work perfectly fine for five minutes of work?

In fact, if you read my
article this month on Ansible playbooks, you might need less than five minutes
to solve problems back home. Ansible automation really starts to shine when
playbooks are added to the mix.

Jim Hall takes my cat theory to a very literal degree. This month, he shows
how to create your own CAPTCHA system, but rather than proving
human-ness, your CAPTCHA can test personal information. In Jim's case, his
CAPTCHA displays a bunch of cat photos, and you need to pick which cat is
his. For friends, it's a simple test. For strangers? Not so much. Might it
be tempting to answer incorrectly in order to see more cats? Yes. But,
that's one of the dangers of using cats. Their fluffiness is hard to
resist.

Andy Carlson finishes off the issue with an indepth look at Bash itself. We
all know a handful of tricks Bash can do easily, but what about things like
encryption? Our ever-vigilant scripting language is so versatile, even
seasoned professionals like myself are likely to find useful tips and
tricks we never realized were possible.

Speaking of tips and tricks, this issue of Linux
Journal might focus on
fluff and scripting, but it's also full of the same tech tips and useful
programs you've come to expect every month. We also have new product
announcements, updates about the tech world, and insight on technology in
general. This was a fun issue of Linux Journal, and it contains far more
cat photos than most. Although, that might be a shortcoming of the
other issues, as a certain number of cat photos should be considered
baseline, no?

If someone asked me how the internet stays running, I'd probably say
something like, "Bash scripts and cat photos." Because really, those two
things pretty much encompass the human online experience. Bash scripts are
quick snippets of timing-saving code, and cat photos are, well, photos of
fluffy kitties. Most days, that's enough. Although I won't say this issue is
based on that premise, I'd like to pretend that's the case!

Reuven M. Lerner starts things off with how to create multithreaded applications
in Python. (See? Thread/yarn? The whole world is cats!) Usually the tasks
we need computers to perform are so simple, the computer can do them one at
a time faster than we can blink. But, what if those tasks are time-consuming? Multithreading is a great way to force computers to do more
work at once.

Kyle Rankin talks about taking a vacation again this month. Specifically, he
talks about purchasing a cheap laptop that can be taken on vacation or used
when on call without
concern about it getting stolen or damaged. Sure, most tech folks spend a
few minutes on vacation solving a work issue, but why tote your fancy
everyday computer along with you, when a flimsy keyboard and outdated CPU
will work perfectly fine for five minutes of work?

In fact, if you read my
article this month on Ansible playbooks, you might need less than five minutes
to solve problems back home. Ansible automation really starts to shine when
playbooks are added to the mix.

Jim Hall takes my cat theory to a very literal degree. This month, he shows
how to create your own CAPTCHA system, but rather than proving
human-ness, your CAPTCHA can test personal information. In Jim's case, his
CAPTCHA displays a bunch of cat photos, and you need to pick which cat is
his. For friends, it's a simple test. For strangers? Not so much. Might it
be tempting to answer incorrectly in order to see more cats? Yes. But,
that's one of the dangers of using cats. Their fluffiness is hard to
resist.

Andy Carlson finishes off the issue with an indepth look at Bash itself. We
all know a handful of tricks Bash can do easily, but what about things like
encryption? Our ever-vigilant scripting language is so versatile, even
seasoned professionals like myself are likely to find useful tips and
tricks we never realized were possible.

Speaking of tips and tricks, this issue of Linux
Journal might focus on
fluff and scripting, but it's also full of the same tech tips and useful
programs you've come to expect every month. We also have new product
announcements, updates about the tech world, and insight on technology in
general. This was a fun issue of Linux Journal, and it contains far more
cat photos than most. Although, that might be a shortcoming of the
other issues, as a certain number of cat photos should be considered
baseline, no?

Shawn is Associate Editor here at Linux Journal, and has been around Linux since the beginning. He has a passion for open source, and he loves to teach. He also drinks too much coffee, which often shows in his writing. You can contact Shawn via e-mail, ljeditor@linuxjournal.com.